A year ago, the White House led the effort to get automakers' Corporate Average Fuel Economy to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. Although the number was eventually pegged at 34.1 mpg, it will actually be slightly lower because of other non-automotive credits that will be applied. One might have thought automakers would still be grousing the work that needs to be done, but in fact they encouraged the federal government to go further, and so it has: the White House began working this week on setting CAFE standards through 2025.

The reason for this? The Golden State. Just after last year's 2016 CAFE numbers were announced, California said it would work on "a much more stringent standard" for 2017 and afterward. Automakers urged the feds to head the California Air Resources Board off at the pass in order to stay ahead of state initiatives, thereby quashing the chance that different laws would hit the books.

The EPA and DOT have just gotten to work on crafting new standards, so it will probably be another year before new numbers come out. For you folks with large-capacity, high-horsepower engines, you might want to take this chance to rev 'em if ya got 'em.

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Anonymous

Anonymous

4 Years Ago

ecoboost? Have you driven a "boosted" car before? They are great and I love the feel of the boost, but as fast as the boost goes up the MPGs go down.The chevy 4 cyl turbo motors in the SS Cobolt and HHR does NOT get great MPGs. ok but 24 to 25 highway with a 4 cyl is not great. The car is great fun, but not going to get 35 mpgs. I could see maybe a very small motor like 3 cyl, 1L?? boosted that my get better MPGs but only max out at like 100 hp. Engines still need a ratio of fuel to air. If the motor is using = to lets just say the air in used in a 350 cid motor then the turbo under boost will use the same fuel. Now just granny driving it with would be better MPGs, look at the way people drive from stop light to stop light then complain they dont get good MPG.

Anonymous

Anonymous

4 Years Ago

@ Monkeybear - What are you attacking edie_dwyer for? Why do you attribute his reference to ecoboost to the earth-hating V8's you so despise?

Anyway, my .02 on your comment is this - in two hundred years we may not be using gasoline any more, but it certainly won't be because of your assertions. If anything, and hopefully sooner rather than later, science will show that the causal link between CO2 and climate change simply isn't there. And as for particulate emissions, new cars emit so extremely few today that it's hard to imagine the health risks associated being reason enough to abandon ICE powertrains, and that tech will continue to evolve. New powertrain developments will happen eventually because of fuel cost issues, in my opinion. Until then, I'll be enjoying high horsepower vehicles guilt-free, thank you very much!

Anonymous

4 Years Ago

bottom line is governments put mandates and laws into place to make money from them....It is the main reason they are on board with the green movement...It gives them more access to regulate and put set forth more laws into place...

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

4 Years Ago

@psarhjinian

actually about 30% of the Texas state budget income comes from the Federal Gov. in the form of Soc. Security, education, agriculture subsidies, oil subsidies, highway, school and medicare payments to residents and the Texas general gov..... but an even bigger amount comes from the U.S Gov. in the form of military payrolls, payouts and leases for all the many, and large, military bases in Texas.

Those tough, independent, rugged go it alone Texicans are highly dependent on the U.S Gov. for the good life.

Anonymous

4 Years Ago

Really, this might be OK for the industry. Since cars last longer, and scrappage is down, poor people can continue to use the current inventory of used cars while rich people pay the extra $1500 per car (it was something in that ballpark) that the new laws will result in. Higher transaction prices means the automakers can pad with even more markup, so perhaps they can turn a profit on fewer vehicles.

Anonymous

Anonymous

4 Years Ago

@Sea Urchin: We need more Gov regulation like we need a hole in the head. There are cars that get 45+ MPG that are 'Green' today and CA wasn't the cause. In fact CA banned a lot of them prior to a few years ago. It's called Diesel. Look at VW who's getting 45+ MPG out of their mainstream models. I don't need more GOV in my life.